


Burning an Eternal (You and) Me

by AHS



Series: Inviting The Fire [3]
Category: Actor RPF, Queer as Folk (US) RPF
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen, Kidfic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2017-10-24 18:30:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHS/pseuds/AHS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A second sequel ficlet (following Tending The Flame) to ITF. Gale/Randy and their daughter, now four and a half, celebrate New Year's with Auntie Dylan and her new boyfriend, who may be someone familiar to the readers. Secrets! Surprises! Schmoop! (And just the tiniest bit of sex!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning an Eternal (You and) Me

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure you've read Inviting The Fire and Tending The Flame first, or you really won't know what the heck they're talking about, lol.
> 
> Thank you to KayCeeCruz, who asked for this... a year ago :-b

　

 _December 31, 2007_

　

“Daddy!”

There was a small tug at the sleeve of his T-shirt, which Randy Harrison did not fully register, as he was at least eighty-seven percent still asleep.

“Daddy, wake up!”

That percentage was dwindling fast.

“Papa, wake him up.”

Randy finally woke fully to the sound of his partner’s sexy laugh beside him, followed by, “I’ve got an idea… Try _this_ , Bryni-Boo.”

The pillow that thwapped him in the head was completely unnecessary.

“I’m awake! I’m up!” Randy sat upright, finding his four-and-a-half year old daughter standing there, holding the culprit pillow and grinning. “Young lady, did you just hit me with that?”

She nodded, bit her lip, and started giggling uncontrollably. “Papa, Daddy said _‘young lady’_!”

“I heard. I think he knew I provided you with the weapon, though, so you got a very halfhearted version of Daddy’s stern voice.” Gale dropped a quick kiss on the irritated pout directed at him from Randy’s side of the bed and watched it change to a suppressed smile.

“I’m glad I’m so amusing this morning.”

“It’s the hair.”

“Excuse me, I got hit with a pillow!”

“The pillow actually mostly fixed it. It was way weirder before.”

“I can fix it!” Bryni licked her hand and reached up, raising on tiptoes to run it over Randy’s head, “styling” the hair into proper place. “Done!”

“Thank you, sweetie.” _I’ll be taking a shower in a minute, anyway._ “Bryn, what were you making such a fuss about?” He’d known by her voice that there wasn’t anything wrong. She sounded happy and excited and impatient, almost like… “Wait. It’s not Christmas, right? Didn’t we do that last week?”

“It’s New Year’s Eve! It’s the very last day of the whole year and you’re missing it!”

“It’s eight in the morning, Bryn.”

“That means you’ve missed eight hours! And Auntie Dylan is coming and we have to get ready! I don’t even know what I’m gonna wear!”

Gale chuckled. It had been a safe bet their daughter would be dramatic. “Big day starts with a big ol’ breakfast, kiddo. Why don’t you check on Allie and Scooby and make sure they’ve got food, and then I’ll meet you in the kitchen for pancake making?”

“Waffles!”

“Waffles then. And then we’ll do the… fashion consultation… thing.”

“You don’t know much about fashion, Papa.”

Randy giggled tiredly at that.

“But you’re better than Daddy.”

“Hey!”

“Ha _ha_.” Gale stuck his tongue out at Randy.

“Okay! Hurry when you’re done kissing!” Bryni shouted, still very excited, and took off running out the door and down the hall, slowing a bit at her fathers’ voices (in stereo) telling her to _“Walk, please”_ … and smiling at _“We’re never done kissing!”_

“You…” Gale slid closer, slid the top half of his body on top of Randy’s, and gave him a much deeper kiss than before. “Go back to sleep. I’ll keep our kid occupied and your waffles warm.”

Gale was pretty sure Randy tried to mumble something suggestive and ridiculous, like _“I’ll warm *your* waffles,”_ and to pull Gale’s hand to his crotch, but the guy was so exhausted that his words were slurred and he was asleep again before the hand could even get there.

“Rain check.” Gale sighed. “You need to not work so fucking hard, Rand. New Year’s resolution?”

The resolution had been made before, but Gale could hope maybe the fifth time was the charm.

***

“Lord Randolph, _darling_ , how are you?”

“Simply smashing, Lady Dylan. A new year is in the offing!”

Yes, it had taken Randy and Dylan a long time to truly become friends, but they had somehow… even if they weren’t quite sure how.

But the occasional use of over-the-top British accents had seemed to help.

That, how much she loved Bryn, and the birthday card she’d sent him three years ago. Accompanied by a picture of her in pigtails, looking shamefaced, writing on a giant chalkboard one hundred times… _Randy Harrison’s dick is not a toy._

“Yes, yes, I’m… excited!”

She’d dropped the accent, but even on the phone, Randy could tell something was off in her voice. Though it was a strange thing to think of Dylan, she sounded almost nervous.

“Dylan, are you all right?”

“Moi? Of course, I’m fantastic!”

“What time do you think you’ll be here?”

“Um, _taxi to the hotel, check in by four, try out the bed, shower and spiff up_ … I’d say we’ll be there by seven.”

“Seven’s good-” Wait a minute. “I’m sorry, did you say _‘we’_?”

“Yes. I told you guys I was bringing someone, didn’t I?” She was using her innocent voice, which - in real life - almost never sounded natural.

“No! You know you didn’t!”

“How can you be sure? Maybe I told Gale.”

“Gale would have told me. And I would have bought more food, more wine!”

“Fine, you got me! I didn’t tell either of you. I only asked him to come with me a few days ago and I didn’t want to jinx it. Or deal with questions.”

“Who is this guy?”

“He’s my _lo-vah_.”

“And?”

She sighed, less melodramatically than usual. “He’s a great guy I’ve been seeing for four, almost five months and I want you and Gale and Bryn to meet him, okay? Odd as it is, you’re sort of my family.”

“Wow. This sounds serious. What’s his name?”

“Scott. Scott Lowell. He’s an actor.”

“Dylan, you know _two actors in a relationship never works._ ” Randy just had to remind her of her own quote.

“Yes, karma’s a bitch and so was I. Fuck that, I still am. But I’m hoping I’m a little less of an idiot.”

***

“Rand, everything’s fine.”

“I thought it was just going to be the four of us. Now it turns out we’re entertaining guests!”

“One guest. And we’re very entertaining. You can do a dramatic monologue and I’ll juggle.”

“Gale.”

“What? We’re not trying to impress this guy; Dylan is. And the more casual we are about the evening, the more relaxed she’ll be.”

“Is this weird for you at all? I mean, we’ve heard about some of Dylan’s romantic escapades, but we’ve never had one over to the house.”

Gale scratched his ear. “I’m a little worried it might be weird for this poor bastard, but not me. Wonder what exactly she’s told him about how she knows us.”

“Shit.”

“Right?”

“I still need to run to the store and get some more stuff.”

“Fine, go.”

“You can’t juggle. You drop more than you catch.”

“Always entertains you, doesn’t it?”

***

Gale and Randy informed their daughter that there would be another person coming to dinner, someone they didn’t know. As they’d figured, not only was she fine with it, but she was thrilled at the thought of a new person she could make fall in love with her.

So much so that she insisted on getting to open the door.

Dylan and Scott were greeted by the tossing of confetti. But, as the thrower was not much over three feet tall and had very small hands, it was a small spray, which hit somewhere around their knees and fell innocuously to the floor.

“Happy almost New Year!!!”

“How’s my Bryn-cess?”

Dylan swooped Bryni up in a hug and air kisses combo, breathing in strawberry-scented strawberry blond locks, then moved on to a hug and kiss on the cheek for Randy, and a hug and peck on the lips for Gale. It had been half a year since she’d seen them and she’d missed their fucking perfect little fam.

Randy noticed Scott hanging back, watching Dylan fondly but looking just a bit awkward, and darted forward with hand extended. “Randy Harrison.”

Scott smiled and shook the hand, relaxing. “Scott Lowell. Thanks so much for inviting me.”

Gale stepped up, shaking hands with his right and clapping Scott on the back with his left. “Gale Harold. Good to meet you, Scott.”

“You, too. Dylan’s told me a lot about you guys.”

Gale and Randy looked at each other, then at Dylan. She scrunched up her face, when Scott wasn’t watching, in a way that suggested there was also a lot she had _not_ told him. But before that moment could get weird, there was a pointed clearing of tiny throat.

Scott quickly dropped to one knee in front of Bryni and gave his hand to her, head bowed. “I’m honored to make your acquaintance, Your Highness.”

Bryni grabbed his fingers and shook firmly, giggling the whole time. “He’s funny,” she whispered at Dylan.

“And cute, don’t you think?” Dylan whispered back, and they nodded conspiratorially.

“You’re a hit,” Gale declared.

“I respect the crown.”

Bryn was wearing her purple sweater with the furry collar that Dylan had sent her for Christmas, black denim skirt, her white canvas sneakers - no longer white, but endlessly decorated and drawn on - and a golden crown of star stickers on thin cardboard which read “ _Happy New Year!_ ”

Bryn pulled Scott over to the sofa and jumped onto the middle cushion, tugging Scott and Dylan down to sit on either side. Gale sat in his favorite chair, and Randy - having made sure there was a kick-ass cheese platter set out - sat cross-legged on the ottoman.

As soon as she had her audience properly assembled, Bryn just started talking. The adults were happy to let her.

She told Scott about how they had two cats: Daddy’s old cat, Allie, and her own cat, Scooby Doo, who was called that because she’d thought it was hilarious for a cat to have a dog’s name.

The crown on her head eventually led to effusive talk of the Disney princesses. But when Scott asked her which one she wanted to be, Bryn said she would rather be Spiderman. Dylan laughed, confused, saying she’d thought Bryn was afraid of spiders so why would she want that.

“Because Spiderman’s not afraid of spiders.”

Which made a whole lot of sense, really.

Her favorite song ever was _Eternal Flame_ by The Bangles. She’d gotten obsessed with it when she found out it had her name in it, sort of, and she insisted it was way better and prettier than her daddies’ _old_ song! Gale tried to tell her that her song was as old as their song ( _The Flame_ by Cheap Trick) but she would have none of it.

“Okay, Bryn.” Randy decided it was time to rein her in a bit. “What do you say we let someone else talk for a while?”

She looked honestly puzzled. “Why?”

Gale snorted a laugh, patting Randy’s thigh with a whisper of “ _your_ kid,” and went to the kitchen to check on the food.

“Because, sweetie, Dylan brought Scott here to meet us and we haven’t gotten to know him at all yet.”

“Oh, okay.” She turned to Scott with a bright smile. “Tell us about yourself.”

Scott chuckled. “Wow. Guess I’m on, huh? Not that much fascinating, I’m afraid. I’m an actor. I lived in Chicago before I moved to L.A.”

What was fascinating to Randy was watching Dylan. Supportively squeezing Scott’s hand. Looking at him all kind of dreamy-eyed and proud. Their little superfreak was most definitely in love.

“How did you two meet?”

“At one of the Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing events.”

“I went with a few of the girls from the show.” Dylan had done six episodes of _The L Word_ a few years back.

“And I was there with a couple of friends from my poor defunct show,” Scott sighed.

“Your…?” Randy’s brain finally placed the familiar face. “Oh, that’s where I’ve seen you before! You were in the _Queer As Folk_ remake. You were the one who OD’d.”

He shot a quick worried glance at Bryn, who mouthed _“Don’t do drugs”_ to appease her father and kept listening.

“I’m honored you remember. That was years ago and I didn’t think anybody saw it, anyway. We only lasted a handful of episodes. I thought my character might live if we’d kept going, but… Ted and the show both died.”

“Gale and I thought it was really good.”

“Thanks. I think it was one of those things that’s _almost_ great, but all the elements just didn’t line up quite right.”

“We used to joke that we should have been on it.”

“Dinner’s ready.” Gale sauntered back into the living room, took Randy by the hand and pulled him up and into him, held his hips like they were dancing for a second, and said against his cheek, “Can you handle it?”

As Bryn giggled and Dylan shook her head knowingly, Scott stared at the picture the two of them made and had to reply, “I really think that might have helped.”

***

Over dinner, more of Scott and Dylan’s story was told. They’d met initially at the GLEH event but hadn’t started dating until running into each other a second time, at a Human Rights Campaign dinner.

“Dylan, you’ve become a pretty active ally for equality over the years, haven’t you?” Randy noted with appreciation.

“That’s my girl,” Gale said proudly around a mouthful of bread.

She waved it off. “Big deal, I go to a few parties, write a check now and then. Honestly, it mostly started out as guilt, I think. About how I treated you guys.”

“Dylan, you didn’t need to feel guilty about not wanting your boyfriend to be gay. Or just not wanting him to be in love with someone else, man or not.”

At Randy’s words, Scott was the one throwing the worried look at Bryn, which she noticed.

“Auntie Dylan was Papa’s girlfriend before he fell in love with Daddy,” she explained very matter-of-factly.

He blinked then visibly relaxed, realizing she knew. “Right, I think she mentioned that.”

Dylan responded to Randy. “You know it was more than just that. I was a-” She almost said _cunt._ She kind of wanted to say _dick_ , actually, but she held her tongue, because there was not only a child in the room but a boyfriend she was hoping not to scare off.

“Bad word?” Bryn supplied helpfully.

“Yes, well said, baby. I was several bad words.”

Gale and Randy shared a look. They could hardly say, _“No, you were an angel!”_ Perhaps one of them would have jumped in with something corny about how she was _Auntie_ now and they loved her, but then - better - Bryn asked Scott to please pass the bread, and that was enough to change topics.

They talked about the deliciousness of the food (Gale could only make three things, but damn he could make those three), a little about Bryn’s preschool, Gale’s last photo exhibit, the play Randy had written and was close to getting produced, and then Dylan’s recent career struggles.

“I’m still managing to make a living, barely.” Dylan may have come from money, but being able to support herself with her talent was important to her. “I don’t know. I think I’m not too much longer for acting. I might try working from the other side, getting into casting.”

“You don’t think that would drive you crazy?” Gale had to ask. “Giving parts to actresses you know you’re better than?”

“I’m not saying I won’t be mentally screaming, _That should be ME!_ But I don’t want to keep going until all I’m getting offered are old lady roles. My agent’s already starting to send me on ‘mom’ auditions!”

Gale and Randy looked at each other again, amused this time, Gale biting back a chuckle at Dylan’s “old lady” paranoia.

“You’d make a good mom, Auntie Dylan.”

Everything got very quiet for a second. Dylan swallowed and it sounded like a gunshot to her own ears. She didn’t know if Bryn meant acting-wise or… otherwise. If she meant the latter, well, that was just crazy. But it was still sweet, so she smiled.

“I agree,” Scott said softly.

At that, Dylan dropped her fork - loud clink surrounded by stillness - and pretty much froze. She looked so… _terrified_ , Randy took pity on her.

“I could see you in casting.”

Her head snapped in Randy’s direction and her shoulders sagged in relief. “Yeah?”

“Sure. I don’t think you should stop acting, but casting’s a good idea, if it interests you. It certainly fits your control issues.” He gave her a teasing but fond half-grin.

That made her comfortable again. Possibly _too_ comfortable. “Right?” she laughed. “Hey, I cast you all too well, didn’t I?”

And then there was the third awkward silence in less than two minutes.

“What did you cast Randy in?”

Dylan looked at Scott and felt her time with him ticking down to nothing.

“Oh, well, she didn’t really _cast_ me, but the play we did together when we first met, the audition, she put in a good word for me with the director.” Randy was kind of impressed with the ease of his white lie, and felt Gale squeeze his knee in appreciation.

Scott smiled and nodded. Dylan pounded a glass of wine.

“I thought you meant how you picked Daddy for you and Papa.”

Okay, the awkward silence didn’t even get a chance to form that time. Gale spoiled it by laughing.

One throaty burst, stifled but still loud, and then a low-simmering, continuous laugh that was almost a hum, through sucked-in lip.

Dylan had intended to keep her face hidden in the bottom of her wine glass after Bryni’s reveal, but now looked at Gale like he was the worst kind of traitor. Randy kicked him under the table. Bryn started laughing with him, not sure what was so funny but enjoying her Papa’s silliness. Gale finally took a deep breath and chomped on a roll for a muffling effect.

“What does she mean?” Scott asked, smiling but obviously confused. “You picked Randy for… you and Gale?”

Dylan looked into Scott’s eyes, the gentle questioning. She knew he could see the guilt on her face, and suddenly its presence there started to piss her off. There was no reason for it. She was who she was (even if she wasn’t who she was _then_ so much _now_ ). If Scott couldn’t deal with it, better to know.

In theory.

“Oh, screw it!” she cried. “Sorry, baby,” she offered to Bryn for her language, then whispered to Scott, “I need to tell you something.”

Randy hopped up. Yeah, dinner was over. “Bryn, I think it’s naptime for you.”

***

She had not gone quietly.

Bryni Harrison Harold was a very well-behaved child, most days, but going to bed was always a bit of a struggle because she was always afraid she was going to _miss_ something, be it a TV show, hours of her fathers’ attention, or the sky suddenly raining cotton candy (that would surely all be gone by the time she opened her eyes again). New Year’s Eve and the presence of guests made it an even bigger than usual challenge, but Randy and Gale were eventually able to wrangle her.

Or, _bribe_.

“Midnight’s not for over three hours yet, Bryn. We just don’t want you to get tired and accidentally fall asleep and miss it.”

Randy expected her to deny the possibility of ever getting tired, but instead, she looked adorably offended. “You wouldn’t wake me up?”

Gale smiled and pretended to think about it. “I don’t know. Would we, Rand?”

“Papa!”

“Okay, how about this… Sleep now, we’ll wake you up in a couple of hours, and you can play your,” _*tortured sigh*_ , “Bangles song at midnight.”

Her eyes twinkled. “How many times?”

“One.”

“Five!… That means I get three, right?”

“You’re a very smart negotiator. Now, lights out.”

“Wait, one more thing first.”

Bryn and Gale both looked curiously at Randy as he scooted closer to Bryn on the bed and held her small hand, an apprehensive expression on his face.

“You said that Dylan picked me for her and your Papa… Um… what did you mean?”

“Auntie Dylan thought you were cute and that Papa would think you were cute so she asked you out but you don’t like-like girls and three people can’t be a couple so Papa picked who he liked best and he picked you.”

Randy and Gale blinked in unison. Well… that was…

That was the best explanation of how they’d come to be that they’d ever heard. (And, happily, not overly and inappropriately detailed.)

“Did I get it wrong?”

Part of Randy (the paranoid dad) felt he should be more concerned with exactly what she’d heard over the years, but… as Dylan had so wisely said… screw it.

“Nope. You’re perfect.”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Bryn’s forehead. Gale smooshed in and simultaneously placed a smacking kiss on his cheek. Their daughter’s laughter rang like bells.

***

“Do you think they’ve had enough time to talk?” Randy whispered to Gale in the hall. “I don’t want to interrupt.”

Gale took a quiet step toward the living room. “I don’t hear anything. Wait…” He listened. “Kitchen. Cabinet door closing. Glass on the counter. Wine bottle thump.”

“Listen to you, Sherlock. So… everything’s okay?”

“Hang on.”

Gale flattened himself almost comically against the wall and slunk along until he could peer into the living room. He seemed to curse silently, then returned carefully to Randy.

“Scott’s sitting on the couch alone looking shellshocked and awkward as fuck.”

“Maybe she’s getting wine for the two of them?”

“I have a bad feeling she’s in there getting drunk out of her skull.”

“Shit.”

“You want Dylan or Scott?”

“You take Dylan, you can get through to her better. I, at least, never fucked his girlfriend, so I’ll take Scott.”

“Sounds about right. Although she did suck your-”

“I will wash your mouth out with soap.”

Gale just grinned and rubbed Randy’s hip in apology.

Randy’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “They’re weirdly cute together, you know?”

“I know.”

“I was worried I might have the impulse to warn him away from her, but no, I’m rooting for them.”

“So let’s fix it.”

Randy took a fortifying breath, looked at his watch, nodded. “Two hours and forty-seven minutes ‘til midnight. Let’s go.”

***

“Dylan, surrender the fucking Merlot.”

She looked at him sideways from her spot, leaning heavy against the counter, gave a tired smirk and a raise of her glass in acknowledgment, then set it down obediently. “I’m not drunk… much.”

“Think you can help me load the dishwasher without breaking anything?”

“Dunno. I’m good at breaking stuff.”

She was smiling but the edges were painful. Definitely talking about more than dishes.

“What happened when you told him?”

She started picking up the plates and silverware and bringing them to him. “Nothing. He was great. He doesn’t think I’m a rabid skank. He still wants to be with me.”

Gale placed plates in the dishwasher… then remembered Randy liked them facing the other way, and he turned them around. “That’s good. So…?”

“So, of course, I’m hiding in here like a little bitch.”

“Of course.” He arched an eyebrow at her, letting them go silent for a few minutes as they finished their task.

She walked away a few steps, to the washer’s rhythmic hum.

“I’m thirty-five, Gale. Fucking middle-aged.”

“Thirty-five is _not_ middle-aged.”

“You don’t know that. It could be.”

Gale sighed. “Fine.”

“I have wrinkles! Look!” She placed a well-manicured fingertip under her right eye, pulling slightly to show him supposed lines in the skin.

“Well, if you pull on your eye like that, you probably will.”

“Tanning doesn’t help, I know, but you have to stay tan in L.A. And you can’t get old. Not if you’re a woman. You, you’re thirty-eight, and you’ll look just as gorgeous as you do now when you’re fifty!”

“You sound like Randy. Thirty last month, you know.” Gale scratched his ear, not understanding. “Dylan, what the fuck am I missing here?”

“Just… I feel myself getting older and I know I’ve changed but what if I haven’t changed enough? I don’t have successful relationships, never have. I’ve always attracted guys easily, but I either get bored with them quickly or end up driving them away, either on purpose or just by virtue of who I am.” She emphasized the last part of the sentence with a look that said, _You remember._ “I don’t even have friends. A girl friend or two, sure, good for shopping or lunches, but I can only stay friends with them by not being particularly close to them. The longest relationship of any kind I’ve had - not counting my mother, and God knows I don’t - is with you, and you want to know the fucking sad part? Randy is second.”

The corner of Gale’s mouth wiggled. Dylan’s eyes flashed fire.

“I’m pouring my heart out and you’re seriously laughing at me? Dick.”

“I’m not laughing, I swear. That’s just… weird and… nice. Can I tell Randy?”

“Gale, what do I do?”

“Are you bored with Scott?”

“No! I can’t imagine ever being. It’s the other thing I’m worried about.”

“If you don’t want to push him away, then it’s simple… _Don’t push him away._ ”

“Wow. Did you get wise, or am I drunker than I thought?”

“Now, listen up, smartass. You love him and he loves you. The real stuff, I can tell. Keep doing that. Enjoy it. Don’t call an end that’s not there. And don’t bring home any third parties to have sex with you guys. You’ll be fine.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled, sidling closer until she could plant her face in his chest and let his arms wrap around her.

“It’s that easy, huh?”

“It is when you’re ready. You’re ready now.”

***

“So…” Randy sat across from Scott, still not having come up with much inspiration as to what to say.

Scott looked up and offered a strained smile. “So.”

“I don’t think that was quite what you expected when you agreed to come over for dinner. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Dylan’s the one who didn’t give me the whole story.”

“In Dylan’s defense… I used to hate her.”

“That’s your defense?”

“Yes, because now she’s my friend. The fact that we’ve gotten from where we were, this horribly ugly place of resentment, to her being Bryn’s _godmother_ and me actually enjoying her company? It says a lot. Us getting here was 95% her effort. And 5% me getting a push from Gale. And yes, maybe it’s strange that we’re all friends, and maybe _instigator of a two-man threesome_ isn’t the image of Dylan you had in your head-”

“Sure it is.”

Randy blinked. “What?”

“Well, not that specifically, no. But I don’t think Dylan’s some innocent flower.”

“So you’re angry that she kept it from you?”

“No, I pretty much understand that, too. She was worried I’d think less of her.”

“And you don’t?”

“No. Most people wish they could be as adventurous as she is, go for what they want like she does. I love that about her. That’s a big part of what makes her such a sexy woman.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Scott waggled his eyebrows in a way that made Randy think he and Gale should totally be buddies. Randy laughed.

“I do know what you mean. Dylan’s… something. And I don’t mean that bitchily.”

“This does explain why she was so paranoid about making sure I wasn’t gay. She kept asking.”

“She didn’t.”

“Starting on our first date. I just thought it was because of the show I was on and where we met. _‘What kind of music do you like?… Have you ever had sex with a man?… This chicken is to die for… Have you ever loved a man?’_ ”

“Wow. What did you say to her?”

“No to the sex, yes to the love… Michael Jordan.”

“Ah. And you still wanted a second date?”

Scott smiled and shrugged. “Guess I had it bad from the start. And I really wanted a chance to _convince_ her.”

Randy grinned, then quirked his head. “Wait, so if you’re not angry at her…”

“I was upset just because, like you said, I wasn’t expecting it. I got blindsided with some… mental pictures I didn’t need tonight.”

“Oh, _hell._ Right. Sorry. I empathize, really. About half my mental pictures from back then, I cherish, and the other half make me want to shove an ice pick in my ear.”

“Graphic.”

“And with my next breath, extremely corny!” Randy declared, arms spread as if he were on stage. “Because it was all worth it. Love always is.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Scott said, leaning forward. “Can I get your opinion? I want to ask Dylan something, but I’m worried it might be too soon.”

***

“What about the whole _mom_ thing?”

“What mom thing?”

“Me making a good mom!”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I can see it.”

“You can?”

“You can’t?”

“I don’t know. Just because I’m the world’s coolest aunt, doesn’t mean I’d be a good mom.”

“It’s not a bad fucking start.”

“It wasn’t something I ever thought about _at all_ until Bryn. A couple of years ago… _maybe_ I had a fleeting thought of asking you guys for some sperm.”

“Aw, yeah? You should’ve told us. We had a hell of a time figuring out what to get you for Christmas.”

“That’s why I started giving you a list of approved items.”

“Serious, Dyl. Why didn’t you?”

“One, because I like how the three of us are now and I didn’t want to fuck it up again by being selfish-” She continued before Gale could interrupt. “Two, I just didn’t want it enough.”

Gale looked at her long. Decided not to press it. “Okay.”

“And three, I couldn’t in good conscience do that to this body.”

“Understandable. But what about now? You having visions of a dancing baby Scotty?”

“I don’t know if I’m more ashamed of you for making an _Ally McBeal_ reference or me for getting it. And… no. It’s way too soon for that.”

“Mm hmm.”

“Fuck you.”

***

“Okay, let me get this straight… You just finished acting in a play last week, you’re starting a new one next week, you’ve got the one you wrote that you’re trying to get going, _and_ you’re directing a movie?”

“Just a short.”

“And you’re a dad.” Scott put a hand on Randy’s shoulder, leaning forward in over-the-top concern. “Are you all right? Do you need some water? A nap?”

“Haha.” Randy good-naturedly ducked the hand. “You sound like Gale. He’s always grumbling about me working too much.”

“What am I being accused of?” Gale came into the room then, Dylan behind him.

“Just the usual.”

“I told you, I was young, and they said it was supposed to be an _art film._ ” Gale dropped onto the arm of the couch dramatically, play look of shame on his face.

Randy patted Gale’s thigh. “I know, babe.”

“So is it all good out here or do I need to pull out my balls?”

“…”

“And juggle.”

Scott’s eyes bugged slightly, not knowing Gale well enough yet to know how to take his words. Dylan watched Scott and kind of just wanted to smooch him like crazy. She stepped around Gale.

“You guys are freaks.” She passed Randy and walked up to Scott, wiggling herself in to sit between them, looking directly at her boyfriend. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry, Scotty. For the not warning. And the hiding.”

“I know. You done now?”

“I think so. Are you still ridiculously awesome?”

“Yes, I am. I’m afraid you’re going to have to live with it.”

“Gladly.”

Scott wrapped an arm around her, pulling her snugly against him, and she tucked her head under his chin, resting against his chest.

“So,” Dylan grinned, “anyone up for Strip Boggle? Who knows where it might lead…”

Gale and Randy mutually leveled her with a look.

“Kidding! So totally kidding.”

Everybody let themselves laugh and Scott kissed the top of her head. She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips.

“Is it midnight??”

They all looked over at the small, panicked voice and saw Bryn had woken up and padded quietly in on slippered feet.

“No, your Aunt Dylan is just getting an early start.”

She let out an overdramatically windy breath of relief. “Oh good. Daddy, I can’t nap anymore. My brain is too excited.”

 __

“That’s okay, sweetie. We’ve only got about an hour to go. And I’m going to make your Papa get out his camera and take some pictures in a minute, so we need you.”

“C’mere, Boo.”

She ran over and jumped as Gale pulled her up onto his lap, her legs dangling sideways onto Randy’s, eager bunnies hopping and dancing. Her little lips smacked a kiss near her Papa’s mouth, hitting his chin, then leaned down and landed one on her Daddy’s nose.

“What was that for?”

“Getting an early start.”

The kid had a black belt in cuteness, seriously. Scott very nearly said “aww” out loud, Dylan found herself rethinking the mom possibility again, and Bryn’s dads beamed and gave her kisses back.

“What’s Strip Boggle?”

Randy’s head fell into his hands. Gale’s eyes danced with laughter and his lips disappeared.

Dylan coughed. “Isn’t that one of the bands on _New Year’s Rockin’ Eve_?”

Scott reached for the TV remote. “Let’s see…”

***

 _

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

_

The new year… or at least the first few minutes of it… brought champagne and sparkling grape juice toasts. Dancing, both dorky and romantic. Ryan Seacrest and Fergie and “Auld Lang Syne” quickly muted in favor of the song stylings of Susanna Hoffs and Bryn.

“ _…am I only dreaming… or is this burning an eternal ME!… I believe…_ ”

Gale decided the one good thing about having this fucking song on repeat was that Bryn got so into singing along (and making personal adjustments to the lyrics) that it was like she was in her own little world, and he and Randy could properly make out.

Scott and Dylan took advantage of this, also.

Bryni twirled and sang and twirled some more, and when she noticed the adults out of the corner of her eye, she just giggled quietly into the song and kept twirling.

It was a happy new year.

***

“Scott’s going to ask Dylan something.”

Their guests had been put into a cab forty minutes ago, their daughter was off in dreamland, and it was just the two of them at last, collapsing into bed around 3 a.m., simultaneously giddy and exhausted.

“You’ve got a funky twinkle in your eye, Rand, so I’m guessing it’s not if he can have her hotel shampoos?”

“Nope.”

“To marry him?”

“No. Shit, is she expecting that?”

“Nah, I was just guessing.”

“Although, I don’t know. He might have it on his mind now. She did bring it up!”

“She wasn’t meaning it like _that_.”

“No, she was just meaning to put _us_ on the spot.”

Before leaving, Dylan had asked if Randy and Gale were ever going to finally (legal or not) get married. She’d asked them before, but this time they had a story for an answer.

They’d told her and Scott it wasn’t something they felt they needed, but that they had spoken to Bryn about it once and asked if it was something she wanted. To which she’d said, _"Daddy would look silly in a dress. You too, Papa."_ When they had explained that neither of them would wear a wedding dress, she’d replied, _"Then what's the point?"_

And that was that.

“So, what’s he really asking?”

“He said he’s been wanting to move to New York for a while and he’s going to ask if she would want to move with him.”

“Yeah?”

“He was worried it was too soon or too selfish-”

“Dylan understands selfish.”

“I said that, too. Anyway, but he knows she loves it here and that she’d like being closer to us, AND that deep down she wants to start doing theatre again, so… Think she’ll say yes?”

“She better say yes.”

Randy made an amused face at Gale’s adamancy. “Why do you say it like that?”

“Because. _Babysitters_ , Rand.”

“Ahh.”

“Babysitters on call. Adult babysitters we trust.”

“I swear that 16-year-old girl from across the street took one of our dildos.”

“Most importantly, alone time.”

“Sounds nice.”

“Yeah. Every now and then, no interruptions. No Bryn, no work…”

“Hey.” Randy lifted his head from the pillow, really looking at his partner, stroking his chest. “Have I been neglecting you?”

Gale took just a second’s pause, and before he could even open his mouth, Randy had slithered down his body and opened _his_.

“Uhh…” Gale closed his eyes and made a gurgling sound in his throat at the sudden hot, wet pull on his cock. “I was gonna say _no_ , but fuck that… So neglected… _Soooo nnggh-_ neglected.”

Randy brushed his tongue over the head as he pulled away slightly to mouth at the ticklish skin of Gale’s inner thighs. “I’m serious. You tease about me keeping so busy, you never pick a fight about it, but if I ever make you guys feel like you’re not the most important things in my life, you need to tell me.”

“We know.” Gale squirmed as Randy continued to suck and nibble at the crease of his thigh, his hip, dipping down behind his balls, all while they kept talking. “You’re, like - fuck - some freak of nature who… manages to actually… have everything, do everything… and do it well… You could be in fifty plays at once and… you’d still make sure Bryn never forgot her lunch box… and I never… forgot…”

“Hmmm?” Randy’s lips vibrated around Gale’s balls, then wrapped soundly around his dick, sinking down, down slow then up fast, sucking hardest at the tip, and Randy looked up with that question in his eyes.

“That I’m - _fuuuck_ \- the luckiest bastard in the world.”

At that, Randy redoubled his efforts and Gale grabbed onto Randy’s shoulders and thrust up gently and Randy grabbed his own dick and came in just a few tugs. Gale felt the warmth dripping onto his leg and came hard - and as silently as possible - against the back of Randy’s tongue. Randy milked them both slowly, every last drop, and swallowed happily, now satisfied in more ways than one.

“Oh good,” he said with a sleepy smile, as he kissed Gale and stretched back out beside him, bound for slumber. “The door’s locked, right?”

“It’d be pretty damn late to be checking if it wasn’t,” Gale chuckled. “But yes, it is.”

“That’ll be another cool thing about alone time. Getting to have loud orgasms again.”

“You speak the truth.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too. Happy New Year.”

“Mmm.”

Randy Harrison was at least eighty-seven percent asleep when he heard…

“You know, as long as Bryn got to wear a dress at our wedding, I think she’d be into it.”

Suddenly he was sitting up and trying not to choke.

“You okay, Rand?” Gale asked, rubbing his back. His eyes were concerned but Randy would swear he was smiling.

“What?” Randy sputtered when he’d stopped coughing. “Sure. Fine. Just had… some cum stuck in my throat.”

“You need some water?”

“No, I’m- fine… Gale, did you say something a minute ago? Right before I started coughing?”

“Me? Don’t think so. I was asleep.”

“Huh. Okay.” Randy relaxed, laid back down.

“Of course, I can’t be held accountable for things I might say in my sleep.”

He couldn’t see it, but Gale’s grin was so audible Randy wondered if it would keep him awake.

“ _You…_ ”

“G’night, Rand.”

Randy shook his head, wrapping an arm around Gale’s waist and pressing his smile into the man’s back.

He was a pretty lucky bastard, too.

“Goodnight.”

　

 


End file.
